build E30 or E36? opinions :)

[Wanganstyle]

Very nice story, care to share it again? you completely avoided what I said. I was getting at your friend constantly ending up in the gravel with his lsx FD rx-7. Just because he has a torquier engine, doesn't justify him ending up in the ditch all the time. Maybe he should learn to drive.

Not my friend; guy I see on track often; Local guy who is part of a large track organization, I've seen him handle other cars very well, but he is all over the track with his Lsx fd. He can actually drive, when he isn't off the track.......... the Lsx fd is running with r35 gtr's.

I used to have an fd, the body is nowhere as stout as a vette, I just don't think I can handle the torque unless I'm drifting :D

[walktheboard]

this thread isnt entertaining

[Fusion]

I remember seeing an E30 LS1 thread with a video, follwed by a picture of it in the ditch.
The C06s often end up in the sand at the track I run (probably driver inexperience). I personally can't see an E30/6 LSx car being much faster than other high powered cars, unless powersliding though most of the turns. To learn to race an E30/6 with that much power/torque would require some kind of traction control, which would later be turned off and lots of track time, imo.
I knew a guy who built a nice E30/S38 for track and he kept getting his ass kicked by guys with gutted M42s with more track time. He didn't have the patience to learn to drive it so he just gave up and sold it.

[barbara08]

in that car. Plus, I am going BMW CR with the E30 in the KP class, and then also spec e30. I would also set the car up for ITS though, since mods in KP do not necessarily allow you to run it in ITS.

Someone was telling me (unconfirmed random source) stating there is talk about moving it to ITA or ITE (I forget and couldn't find anything to that effect). The E36 would be great in ITS. I think it is the overdog there. Either way, you are looking at spending money to be competitive.

For auto-x, it seems the E36 can be very competitive in DSP and STX(??? or was it STS???) IIRC. The E30 would also be in DSP most likely. I don't think you could run the 17x7's though with the e30.

The thing for me though, the E30 is much cheaper to ball up ... parts are a bit easier to come by, and it's kind of a cool group (e30 owners) to hang around with. The E36 is a great car as well; but, more expensive IMO to ball up than an E30.

Only problem with your E30, since you don't have the S, that would mean no LSD, right? So, open diff... vs. your E36 would should have the LSD. That makes a huge difference in auto-x.

[trackjunkie21]

You are wrong. Would possibly be more jizz worthy if it were, but like all M inline-6s it is iron.

Edit: ITBs, double vanos and extra intake plumbing likely contribute most of the extra weight. Remember though, while they have the same bore spacing, the euro S5x is very different to an M5x. I would not be surprised if the blocks differed quite a bit, and the head is a completely different design.

Oh damn you're right, I was thinking of the m52 in the Z3.

[Roysneon]

So, Wang style;

Why didn't you just make a post that said "I am a pretentious track day enthusiast with poor grammar and I'm here to show R3v that I know more than them."

Everything you've posted has been an attempt to shoot holes in someones suggestion or tell them why it's wrong. If you already know it and have built 10+ "track weapons" why not just build another one? It's obvious from your responses you don't need our help.

[VinniE30]

If you're looking for the absolute lightest front end for an e30 with 200-300 hp it has to be a turbo m10 or m42; or an s14. Definitely a 4 cylinder.
It seems from your first post that this is your goal after what you said about weight and heavy front end and the engines mentioned.

If turbo is out of the question then it has to be s14, or built m42/s42.

If you don't care about using a BMW engine and cost and difficulty of swap is not a factor then F20C or F22C1 is the best option IMO. Even lighter than an s14, more efficient, revs higher, more power from the start and easier to get more power from, cheaper to own, etc.

[Wanganstyle]

If you're looking for the absolute lightest front end for an e30 with 200-300 hp it has to be a turbo m10 or m42; or an s14. Definitely a 4 cylinder.
It seems from your first post that this is your goal after what you said about weight and heavy front end and the engines mentioned.

I'm not seeing where this extra weight is coming from. Internal parts made from different materials seems negligible difference


If turbo is out of the question then it has to be s14, or built m42/s42.

If you don't care about using a BMW engine and cost and difficulty of swap is not a factor then F20C or F22C1 is the best option IMO. Even lighter than an s14, more efficient, revs higher, more power from the start and easier to get more power from, cheaper to own, etc.

You hit it on the dot!! First BMW I ever drove was a e30M, and its haunted me ever since.

yes, really wanted a 4 cyl+boost but I ended up buying an H&B built M20b27, so that will go in to keep stock feeling/balance/look. It should be great, if it ends up too front heavy may just have to get a original S14 car.........:P been trying to avoid that though.

S54 is a tall deck item, so weight bias just shifted upwards a bit, Hopefully the gutting/ setup of car can make up alot of this, my last e36+s54 was a full street car.

in that car. Plus, I am going BMW CR with the E30 in the KP class, and then also spec e30. I would also set the car up for ITS though, since mods in KP do not necessarily allow you to run it in ITS.

Someone was telling me (unconfirmed random source) stating there is talk about moving it to ITA or ITE (I forget and couldn't find anything to that effect). The E36 would be great in ITS. I think it is the overdog there. Either way, you are looking at spending money to be competitive.

For auto-x, it seems the E36 can be very competitive in DSP and STX(??? or was it STS???) IIRC. The E30 would also be in DSP most likely. I don't think you could run the 17x7's though with the e30.

The thing for me though, the E30 is much cheaper to ball up ... parts are a bit easier to come by, and it's kind of a cool group (e30 owners) to hang around with. The E36 is a great car as well; but, more expensive IMO to ball up than an E30.

Only problem with your E30, since you don't have the S, that would mean no LSD, right? So, open diff... vs. your E36 would should have the LSD. That makes a huge difference in auto-x.

I really like e30 simply bc its a classic toy, e30 owners > e36 owners group to hang with.

I need to autoX this e30 :P should be very fun!!!

spec e30 is the rage here!!

LSD was my first non revert to stock mod :)

[blueapplesoda]

I will be putting a high rpm boosted 4 pot into my long-term track/dd m3 build solely because of weight, but I just can't seem to want to give up the sound of a high revving 6. It makes me want to keep pushing the project back further and further, just because of a sound.

I'm kind of a brand purist for motor swaps in my own cars. Those who do embark on those non-native journeys do get my respect however. I would die for a built s85 with straight tubes... but then you move into that almost-all-for-show territory. In the end its meh, the weight is kind of a buzz kill.

The e36 makes driving too easy; Face it, a perfectly tamed woman would bore you. Add in a little crazy, just a pinch, and you get that perfect balance; an e30.

This is definition of why we are all on r3v. We all share a common disease and suffer from the same symptoms.

[Wanganstyle]

Pedals arrived. Thanks ABL!!

Mpowered carpet is super stiffy
And fun to remove

[Wanganstyle]

Steering rack arrived!